Wild Things (Open)

[Ophelia]

Deep Jungle, a world which was not a single part unknown to Ophelia. Every vine that hung from the trees, the rocky cliffs near the waterfall, hidden caves and all alike were no secret to the Heartless Witch, after all, this is where she originated. Upon returning the heartless was greeted with clear skies and a decent breeze blowing through the trees. Most of the time Ophelia found it was either absolutely clear or raining, the latter being her preferred choice for weather at most times. None the less, out the woman stepped from a portal and into a clearing of the bamboo thick.

Familiar sounds of insects and birds calling filled her ears, the hunter still and quiet as she picked up on where each sound came from. The heartless knew there wasn't much here apart from dangerous animals - most of the attraction, and a few villagers... All of which she thought she had killed decades ago but some must have escaped, or perhaps there were new inhabitants. Ophelia was sure to find out soon. It would be interesting to see if any of the elders would recognise the heartless witch. The mask she once wore was gone, her features no longer soft and child-like and her eyes golden with a slight glow to match her brethren. Her attire was much the same however, from her neck down the woman was wrapped in black bandages, her body attire mostly covered by a white flax cloak with black accents and feathers around her collar. Her long, straight raven hair was down, strangling down to her stomach. There was one thing for certain and that was that Ophelia, just by looking at her you could tell she was a predator.

The woman's golden eyes gazed around for a moment before she'd make any move. As she looked around the sounds of nature became more and more silent. Was something coming? Or could the animals sense the intentions of the predator? Ophelia cracked a small smile at the thought of the latter. There was much to do here in Deep Jungle, there had been word of an ancient temple being found - something that was sure to hold secrets or at least some sort of excitement for Ophelia and her apprentice. On that thought, the witch paced around, her hand protruding out from underneath her cloak to lightly brisk her lips as she was thinking. Where is she? The woman stared back at the portal she came from which hadn't closed for a few seconds now. The witch came to a stop in her pacing, staring at the portal as she waited.

[Holly Hallow]

Ophelia's presence appeared almost natural despite her irregular features, in the jungles of the world they had arrived in. The reason why it took an ungodly amount of time for Holly to show up, was because the frail, sickly creature of a human had to prep her body with spells. She was grateful enough that her Mistress had left the portal open and it wouldn't take much longer before the pale, weakened figure came through the inky black hole. Cradled by her caretaker, a large, stout, skeleton figure covered from head to two in blackened armor, had her in one of his arms.

The skull inside the helmet had nothing but this black, wispy substance leak from its orifices and peered down at the Heartless Witch with pure emptiness, akin to the abyss. Holly was in stark contrast, as her thin frame was covered from head-to-toe in what was a white gown. A thin veil had covered her features, snow-white in coloring. They had arrived and with a slow turn of her head and an outstretched hand, Holly practically asked for her Mistress' forgiveness for her lateness.

"Forgive my lateness, my lady. I had to make sure my body wouldn't become wracked with sickness, should I have entered this... Jungle." Her voice came as a form of hiss, one that dribbled with darkness. The disdain showed towards the area was also obvious, but it was one thing she could deal with now that she was well prepared. From beneath that facial covering, a fragile, glass-like smile stretched across those pale-purple lips of hers. "What's on our agenda today, my lady?" If there was excitement in her voice, it would have been lost to that hollow shrill she called a voice.

While she waited for an answer, the sun managed to peek through the foliage and draped itself over Holly. Her eyes stung in the light and once more, she let out a hiss. Those gray orbs of hers quickly shot over to that obsidian armored skeleton knight, who had easily took the hint and moved out the sun's rays, closer to Ophelia. The pair would have appeared inseparable, for the truth of it was, that knight was the only thing which defended her from those who wished to harm her. A summon of sorts whose existence was bound strictly to her. The Heartless Witch would have remembered it as the very first creature she learned to summon and even then, it was a weakened, small-fry of a skeleton. Now, since it's mistress has fallen into that pathetic, sickly state, it had to grow for her sake and she catalyzed such growth.

[Ophelia]

Ophelia observed as the skeleton carried Holly through the portal, the witch's expression remained calm and unmoved despite seeing her apprentice's sick body. It was intriguing to see how the woman's body became more frail the more her magical prowess grew and the darkness in her heart consumed her. The heartless herself couldn't understand the need to stay human after all these years, by now she could see her apprentice's ability had grown as proven by her very first summon taking on the power that Holly seemingly had given up from her body. The witch gave a cold smile, "It's quite alright Holly, I can't expect too much from that human body of yours." The remark was as icy as the heartless' magic itself, though she had admiration for her apprentice, the hatred for her human body struck like no other, that and the heartless would never forgive without making some sort of stab at someone with it. Ophelia turned around, her hand signaled for Holly to follow.

"You know, I was born in this jungle." She paused, letting that personal information sink in to her apprentice's ears. "This was the first place I came as a heartless, I had taken a few lives here before but nothing like when I was blessed with the power of darkness. Upon my return I wiped my entire village out, adding them to my family in eternal darkness. However, it seems there were survivors. I can feel their hearts residing near by." She paused once again, her eyes squinting as she walked, exiting the bamboo into the camp ground. "That's quite annoying, survivors. Dealing to them is the first thing on our agenda, after that I shall tell you what's next."

Standing at the exit of the bamboo thick the woman looked around, there weren't many people around but their eyes all shot back at her in an instant. A sly grin swept across Ophelia's face as she made eye contact with a few humans who suddenly began to realise Ophelia, despite being from this world, was not a friend. Small blobs of darkness formed below the feet of a few women and men before shooting up dark shards up and through their bodies, killing them and capturing their hearts in an instant. However, the witch had made a point not to kill them all in one go, turning to her apprentice again she gave a nod as her eyes shifted back to the villagers as if to say "show me what you've got." A look Holly would have been accustomed to by now. Despite the frail human body she was in, Ophelia knew she was capable of harnessing her strength with the magic and darkness within her. It was to be nurtured by the witch who possibly wasn't the best mentor, but would have the girl's back should anything go wrong.

[Holly Hallow]

That was a rather quick jab at her body, but it was to be expected. The easiest thing to ever point out on a physical aspect was Holly's weakened state. Immobile and much like an ugly porcelain doll, the (barely) human young woman had just let out a small chuckle of sorts. It was more comparable to low cackle in actuality. "I am at the end, my lady. My power has reached its limits with the threshold my body has put on it, so now it's only a matter of me being killed." She stated bluntly and had referred to her currently chrysalis status. Holly was quite the odd one in both mind, body and spirit. Of course, the Heartless witch had a hand in that.

After that small bit of banter, the sickly creature had listened to its master speak. They were in the woman's birthplace and despite how irritating the sun had become, it was an honor to walk the same, hallowed ground as her teacher. The talk of death and assimilation had brought goosebumps to her thin frame, much more so than the icy chill that accompanied Ophelia. Fortunately (for Holly and company) there were survivors that needed to be tended to. The skeletal guardian had followed behind Ophelia and had been careful to avoid any patches of light this time around. Last thing it wanted, was to have itself destroyed and then reconstructed for the amount of times it had offended its owner. "I shall make sure not to disappoint, Lady Ophelia. We'll make quick work of them..."

Oh yes, she was far too happy for this, but then again... She didn't really believe that happiness, just the satisfaction of fulfilling what she perceived as her man-made purpose, which was to kill. Simply put, all life had to have been faced with her own version of reality. Holly had known what was the truth about these worlds, more or less. Steeped in an eternal struggle between light and darkness, there wasn't true rest. No one died and ascended to the heavens, immortalized by their feats, but turn into lowly creatures that were hunted by the people they once deemed allies. It was ironic and served as the woman's eye opener. Once she died, all that'd happen is that she'd be reborn like her master, Ophelia.

The thought rattled her mind in a soothing manner and she relished the thought of being able to one day attain strength like her. All it took was a matter of time and meticulous planning. Eventually, their journey had them arrive at a neatly tucked away camp. The inhabitants already knew what the two were all about, mainly Ophelia, who had long since abandoned her mask, but that was probably the scariest thing about her. One knew to fear the mask, not the face beneath it, but in her master's case it was the other way around. These indigenous people felt that on an instinctual level, which meant that the Heartless witch had slowly begun to embody that which symbolized the darkness.

Holly's guard had lowered her and a chair which was formed out of darkness, had helped sit her body up. Her head managed to hang itself high enough, to catch that signal from her companion. A fail smile touched her lips and with a tap of a finger against the armrest of the chair. Black flames sprouted forth from beneath some of the villagers and engulfed them almost immediately. These flames had seared away at the skin, melted it and soon caused whatever it burned to be turned to ash. That wasn't all, however, for some of them were met with powerful strikes of lightning, that when they hit their marks, caused the body to explode violently and leave behind small craters in the ground. Lastly, her icy powers resembled the technique Ophelia previously used and she impaled people on their limbs first, before they were stabbed through from behind the skull. While all of this happened, the empty sockets of the skeleton knight carefully surveyed its surrounding area, in attempts to keep its owner safe.

[Eno Vale]

“Ugh,” The Sultan mutters under his breath as he moves the foliage of Deep Jungle out of his line of sight. He’d been on this journey of his for a few hours now, hopelessly scouring the thick, humid atmosphere and other untamed elements that made up this tropical paradise. Well, a paradise to some, but to the giant himself, he had another term he felt described it better: annoying.

He first came to this place by boat, having been escorted to the shores by a group of sailors he’d met in a tavern his first night on this world. After the incident with the dark creatures in Agrabah, he knew that the conduits he made to protect his city, and his own military, wouldn’t be enough to cover security while he was away. There had to be a component he could use, something Eno could drawn upon to help quell the heartless horde.

Scouring the worlds, he came across this particular place from the Sea of Skies. While on the surface  it didn’t seem to offer much. However, Vale couldn’t help but feel genuine hope for this planet. What sort of secrets could a world like this hold or knowledge that could be contained in some far off, remote area of this vast jungle? At  least that’s how it was at first.

Februss provided ample transportation in its waverider state, allowing him to fly above the trees, along with giving him an overview of the jungle floor. The treetops, unfortunately, provided ample cover for most of what he’d come across. The fallen knight would spend hours high in the sky, searching fruitlessly for what he thought he’d come across during the initial flyover.

Eno thought he’d come across a community, one far off from the shores. But the Gummi Ship only revealed so much, he’d be forced to use his keyblade in order to move in without so much attention being drawn to him. Perhaps these villagers could help point him in the right direction? It was a long shot, even more so when it came to the possibility they couldn’t communicate.

But, it was the first of three leads he’d been given, so what did the giant have to lose? And so he’s long since abandoned his waveride, opting to move through the jungle on foot.

Another quarter mile, and the sudden sound of screaming pierces the midday air. That, and the deep, rumble of thunder shook the earth beneath his feet. The event jolted Eno from his thoughts, sending his heart into a fit. Whatever it was, the Sultan had to find out. Moving as fast as his legs could carry him, the chainmail covered knight made his way to the source of the noise. He removed the Sphere of Creation from his interior pocket in his coat, letting the material morph in his hands to form a hunting knife.

One, two, three, the presence of lifeforce entered his field of influence. That, and many more followed after, and their condition would shock him. The presence of magic had heavily plagued the nearby opening in the bamboo the fallen knight managed to find. And, stepping out into the open field confirms his suspicions. Two women, one accompanied by a skeletal guard of some sort, could be see standing over fifty yards away. A flash of light, and few of the nearby locals he’d seen burst into a pile of blood and melted flesh  from the sheer magnitude of the energy.

Others from nearby were taken down in a tortuous fashion, their limbs being impaled by dark spikes and ice spells. While many would fall to the influence of the duo, Eno would do what he could to act. Without a single instant of hesitation, Eno turned to a villager that’d been next to one that’d met her end. Moving over as the ground around the local began to freeze, the Sultan pushed him out of the way, allowing the ice to impale him instead.

The temperature in his body dropped significantly, but it’d only last a moment before Februus went to work aiding in his recovery. With his life force in turn transferring it to those that’d been injured. While a portion would narrowly escape death, his influence could only match the women before him. The agonizing pain will unfortunately see to those who he couldn’t get the same healing.

Brandishing his knife, breaking off the ice obelisks from his body, he moved in between them, and the villagers behind him. While his influence came in rather late, the duo would find it difficult to continue their magical onslaught against the dozens around them. Eno’s own life force would see to that, allowing a momentary standstill. He overlooked the two, trying to remain as straight face as possible given the situation.

He knew these two in particular, or at least the one not requiring the protection of a skeleton, wouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of his attention being elsewhere. He kept his eyes readily on the two before him while manifesting a copy of himself within his body. Within a few seconds it’d join him, at least helping to even out the numbers. However, with it boasting only half his power, it might not even make a difference.

The knight would stand silently, refraining from being the one to make the first move. Instead waiting and preparing himself should the need arise. Perhaps his intervention alone might cause them pause.

[Ophelia]

A smile streaked across the woman's face, watching as her apprentice displayed her use of magic. However, the smile quickly turned to a scowl under sensing the presence of a keyblade weilder's heart. Upon moments of sensing him nearby he had then jumped into the fray, managing to save a handful of lives for now. Ophelia stared into the man's eyes, her sadistic smile forming once again as her lips opened. "Well this is kind of annoying, but I suppose you can meddle with our fun." As she spoke a blob of darkness formed below the man, as Ophelia's sentence finished a pointed pillar, much like a stake would shoot upwards in an instant, reaching a height the same as the trees around them.

Something however told Ophelia that wouldn't be the last she'd see of him, with the way he was able to save even a few lives within the massacre of these villagers. There was that and the way Ophelia was able to gauge his magical strength within those few moments, he definitely wasn't a weak opponent and the witch didn't think he'd be too much of a problem, but maybe with Holly's frail body, he would. She turned to her apprentice again. "He'll do anything to save the others. We can use that to our advantage, call out to me if he gets too close to your body." There was a strong tone in her voice, indicating a sense of care and seriousness. Though the heartless queen was tough, she didn't want to see her efforts with this apprentice going to waste. She knew what would happen in those last moments before death approached her, the chance to be reborn would be upon her. However, Ophelia herself didn't see it all too fitting that such a thing be brought upon by this man and with her piece said the heartless turned and stepped forward.

A flash of lightning flashed across the camp ground and as one moment Ophelia had taken her step forward, she was on the other side of the camp, standing behind the villagers who were being healed. Her hands clapped together then released, a blade of ice formed in her hand as the other hand conjured the rest of the short sword. The woman's eyes searched for the man, locking on them while she'd stab her sword into the back of a villagers heard, who began to scream but was cut very short. She wasn't all too sure what this character was made of, but following his previous actions she was certain he'd come after her to save the lives of innocents.

The witch was also intrigued to see how her apprentice would handle this situation. Her magic and training for battle would be sufficient but it had been awhile since the two would have faced a stronger opponent. Their magic prowess seemed to be matching but as for Holly's durability there wasn't much to say there. Whatever play the apprentice would make she'd know in the back of her mind that Ophelia was, always watching.

[Holly Hallow]

An airy hiss escaped Holly's lips when the man had shown himself. Her own, milky-white eyes turned into sharp glare and she shot her eyes over towards her teacher, who seemed to confidently allow the man to meddle in their own affairs. While Ophelia found fun in the situation, the frail young woman just found annoyance with his apparent heroic deeds. Some of the villagers would be escaping and with him seemingly throwing his body in the way, then by all means, she'd abuse that aspect of him for all it was worth. There were two of him to even the odds, but even then, there was a plan for that.

Holly raised her hand into the air and inky black blots appeared on the field, three in total. The two were small puddles which surrounded the third, larger black spot. From the two smaller ones, came two different figures. One was a knight, who wore a disturbing, golden mask, brandished tarnished gold armor and a large greatsword, which blazed in chaotic fire. The second knight wore armor akin to strong stone and had a greatshield made with the same material, and a large, phallic weapon, which took the form of a large dragon tooth. He was covered head-to-toe and neither figure said anything. They were joined by the large, imposing skeletal figure, who pulled out two, rather large greatswords and used one in each hand. "Kill all of them. Don't leave a single villager alive, even their savior." She instructed and had set up a ring of her darkness around the chair she sat in.

The masked and rock-like figures had dashed off on either side of the interloper and aimed to strike down which ever villagers attempted to run away. Even with their weapons and armors, they had the speed and agility of skilled assassins. To whoever they caught up to, they'd mangle and destroy their bodies with their pure strength alone. Their mission was to split up the forces of the man. Since he cloned himself, then that meant he was hellbent on doing what he could to impede their progress. The plan was to split his attention in this now 5v2, so that he'd be easier to dispatch. The skeletal knight had charged him directly and had been in the middle of a fast, powerful, overhead swing that attempted to crash down upon the man's skull. The other sword was left at bay, waiting for a response to this attack.

Holly then watched her mistress take off and go to work on those who attempted to flee. The young woman just widened her weakened lips into a smile and gazed towards the man intensely. "Well, Mr. Hero. I'd suggest you lay down and die. You're not saving anybody, nor yourself at this point!" She hissed out at him.

[Eno Vale]

“Meddle?” Eno shakes his head, confused. “look, I’m just trying to get some directions. I wanted things to go peacefully, I really did, I’m on a tight schedule.” It’s then Eno is cut off before he can form another coherent thought. He’d taken half a step to the right, and it’d be through that sheer act of luck that he’d end up impaled through the shoulder instead.

Impressive, though with the dark based attack being this bandaged woman’s go to skill, he’d gain a benefit from the connecting blow. A moderate amount of healing to close his wound around the spike, and drawing upon the power of his keyblade, he’d move forward, shattering what had held him there. It’s then the Sultan acts to pacify the situation as quickly as possible.

As Ophelia disappeared from sight, her sudden manifestation would catch his attention. Splitting a portion of his consciousness into his now formed clone, it’d take over for the main body. Once it came into existence, it made its way over to the cocooned apprentice, keep its eye upon the emaciated woman on her dark throne. Perhaps it'd be enough to catch her skeletal companion's attention in Eno's stead?

The fallen knight had given his clone the Sphere of Creation, letting the weapon morph into something more appropriate for the situation at hand: a bow. Drawing the string, six ethereal moon arrows were poised for use by the clone. He fires, alternating between the skeleton and the chair’s occupant. While the illusion got in place, Eno used Februus’ influence to open a hole in space. With the immediate attack averted, he acts.

Something akin to waves ripple upon the very surface of reality before Eno sinks in out of sight, only to reappear next to the heartless witch’s latest victim. As he does so, he produces a dagger from within his coat. Jamming it into his own chest, he allows his healing properties to take hold of what was nearly a corpse.

“There’s no need for things to go like this. You have nothing to gain performing an execution on those who can’t fight back. A bunch of weak hearts that can’t compare to one strong soul. Or perhaps you lack manners," the Sultan states flatly, his voice and expression unmoving. The next actions however, would prove otherwise. In a few moments he’d stall the fight for as long as possible.

Using his life force, he targets the now five individuals present on the field. Once his healing took effect, and when it spread to the villagers around. The duo would find those slain by their weapons would rise. While he could do nothing for those who’re killed before his arrival, the heartless two would find that the more they added to the field, the more difficult they were making it on themselves.

Regardless, he’d keep them as they were, letting this be a lesson. Their spells, summons, anything they’d use to manifest to use in battle, would be disabled, unless done so at the outer edge of the aura.Everything fiend and foe alike, would only let his  his reach run further, all the way to the outer edges of the village, bathing it all in a silver glow.

Bright flames spew forth upon the five in the area that have proven themselves an enemy. The resulting damage would then be brought over as additional health for not only the Sultan, but for the villagers around. Once the wounds were sealed from Eno, the resulting regenerative properties increased on the dark group’s targets, and the target’s themselves would find that the damage over time became more potent. A cycle involving the darkness that made up their forms being forcibly ripped away, given to their victims as a forced apology. Their own gift of life would revitalize those they’d try to slay.

"I figured you were above things like this. Goodness, I wonder what they could’ve done to deserve this?”

He’d keep his eyes on the one able to move, while his clone rains his arrows upon the summoned foes and skeleton guard. The resulting attacks would only fuel the flames on them. At this point, the fallen knight would try and keep the field clear to attempt to lessen the bloodshed occurring around him.

The one she’d just cut down got to his feet, his whole body shivering.

“Now, will you please stop?” As the rest of his abilities went into effect, the main body would keep its eyes locked on the mobile heartless while the clone works to dispatch the dark foes. Another addition to the field would be forming within for another few moments, but with this continued cycle, a 3v5 would be possible.

With his keyblade acting as a literal shield for his main body, even a punch or kick could hold the same effect as though one had been cut by Februus. While he felt some guilt over ignoring the one in the chair, he couldn’t afford to let her skeletal fighter strike him just yet. Hopefully the clone could keep the three at bay. Once they got close the bow would take a new shape: Glaive. It’s then that Eno’s esoteric abilities went into effect, providing protection for the clone.

He really didn’t want to see what was in store for him with that black chair. Instead, Eno would focus on what the witch was using. He began sapping away the knowledge of what made up her attire and weaponry. Anything beneficial would find itself linked to the Sultan, granting him the same boons that’d be hers.

Skills In Use:

[Ophelia]

"There's always something to gain from this, you seem smart enough to figure out where these lives are going." She'd respond to the man as he stabbed a dagger into himself. It had become apparent that the man was a healer, a form of magic she admired and despised due to it's complete opposite composition to her own magicks. With this in mind, she wasn't one to let the healer go about so freely in casting this sort of magic. Unfortunately the man had made the mistake of placing himself quite close to the witch. Within an instant Ophelia was within close range of Eno. Her initial attack was plain and simple, her fist would swiftly jab at his cheek as she held her ice sword back, ready for the possible collision with his keyblade.

Though her initial physical attack was in place, things wouldn't stop there. The aura that the enemy had placed seemed to have a range and that showed as darkness descended on the area. The dark fog began by drowning all the light outside of the aura, revealing to Ophelia and her companion just the range of it before the rest of the darkness would spew in. Even the flames that burned at the dark pair would prove to have much chance in lighting the place up. With Dark Wild now in place, Ophelia was able to move anywhere instantaneously and would know the exact locations of each member on the field.

The witch truly had to commend the man's efforts to save these people's lives, but she didn't see that happening today. His magic was proving to be pesky as it dealt damage while healing the others. However the darkness that shrouded the area game some sort of protection to Ophelia and her allies, reducing the effectiveness against them from the aura and other forms of magic by half.

in use/ooc:

[Holly Hallow]

Holly was beyond livid at the current situation, which involved the apparent hero and how he came to the aid of the people. Those milky-white eyes of hers, which were usually drowned out of all life, suddenly flourished with magical superiority. Their opponent was confident enough in his own abilities, that he could seemingly raise his hand against them. It had to have been from that supernatural sphere of influence she managed to sense just prior to his previous declaration. The answer to his loosed arrows, was something most wouldn't ever expect from someone frail like her. "You are annoying. Turn around and leave, before I make your regenerative properties a curse on your body!"

With that threat, she had threw up her arms and had flashed out of the area (chair included). Where to? Only Ophelia would really be able to track her. Holly essentially dodged the arrows which flew to her and had avoided much of the bitter aftermath of their potential charge. Technically, one could call that a 4v2 (not counting the villagers, because they ain't shit) but it was far from that. Holly appeared elsewhere on the battlefield. She detested having to take perch among a thick area of overgrown brush, which essentially hid her physical form completely and would even serve to protect it from most physical assaults. A hand placed towards the scenery, she enchanted it. Darkness had infested and grew within the flora of the area, which created warped, poisonous, tendrils of sorts, that served as a form of magical defense as well. Holly herself didn't need her actual eyes to see, just the presence of Ophelia, her skeletal knight and the two others she had summoned were good enough.

"O, great flames of eternal torture... I offer you a worthy sacrifice beyond all measure, a keyblade wielder and many other hearts below. Will you come to me in my time of need? Her chant was slow and she mumbled the same line over and over and over. What light was allowed into the vast, Deep Jungle, had begun to turn a subtle orange. Flecks of flames showed themselves occasionally and appeared more like torn petals than anything else.

The whole point now was to give Holly time to finish casting (her next post without interruption equals a successful cast), so the skeletal figure continued its charge. Despite how stiff and straightforward it actually appeared, the construct was dexterous, if not also clever. When the projectiles came its way, the suit of armor literally segmented itself and had continued its charge forward. Seeing that it didn't have to stop one bit and it kept its eyes upon the man who went everywhere he could to save victims, Eno would find himself happened upon the knight. It slammed down with a hefty heave of its greatsword and aimed to not only split his skull in two, but the entirety of his body.

The other two warriors, after seeing their kills seemingly rejected, turned their attention upon the clone instead and decided to run at him. When those flames exuded and covered their bodies in an attempt to hurt them, the damage received was successful, but any heartfelt cries of pain and agony, coupled with a halt in their movements were null and void. They were essentially skeletal knights all on their own, whose main purpose was to create bloodshed and follow the will of their mistress. Thus, the clone too would be happened upon after it shifted weapons. One came to flank from around the backside, while another came in with a series of strikes with its large, zweihander weapon. Should the clone be distracted in that manner, the one with the more phallic weapon had the notion to crush him beneath the stone-like bludgeoning instrument.

[Eno Vale]

Eno’s eyes widened with shock at the sheer speed this woman possessed. He considered himself a dexterous fighter to be sure, which had shown in previous engagements. But, this one, she proved herself faster than him with a single move. However, their reflexes were almost one in the same, something the fallen knight would attempt to take advantage of. Once her fist collides with the side of his face, the impact snaps his jaw like a toothpick, smashing it loose from the joint. His head jostles as a result. In spite of this, he’s able to reach up, grabbing her by her forearm before she can pull it back. It’s here the foolish Sultan believes he can keep her from moving long enough to try and diffuse the situation.

Judging by her strength though, keeping her close would prove to be a monumental task. A simple hold can be broken, though if she takes pride in herself as a fighter, then disabling the use of that blade of ice has to come next. That might grant him the moment he needs. Not in a sense of dismissing it, nor one that involved a counterattack, no, this needs to be improvised. And, if anyone could pull off an improvised strategy, it’d be the once undead commander. A single flash of the ice against the deep jungle sun would be all Eno needs to act.

She kept the blade back, expecting a blow of his own to come through, and Ophelia would be right in a sense. An open palm strike, not aiming for her, but for her ice sword. His regenerative properties were among the quickest he’d seen, aside from the clerics back on his home world of course, and such a thing would come in handy here. Eno impales his hand on the tip of her blade, swiftly sliding it down the sword and to the hilt. While his grip wouldn’t be as strong due to him mangling his own hand, he’d have to rely on his tendons, muscle, and bones to keep the sword in place. Regardless, he curls his fingers around the bottom of the weapon as best as he could.

Immediately his magic gets to work fixing the injury. The cold, the frigid air that hung about her blade, causes his skin to turn a shade darker from the contact. Frostbite is a small, fixable price to pay to save the lives of these villagers. As for the words she spoke before their resulting actions began, it’d only confirm the suspicions that’d been playing about in his mind since he first saw the duo in action. There’s more to them than dark hearts, at least for the one before him. Only a few beings of darkness would indiscriminately cut down those that couldn’t fight back.

“Heartless, huh? I assumed only Lenneth could hold a human form,” Eno mutters more so to himself than to his opponent. His mind falls upon the flamboyant man, whose features resembled the “perfection” the Gods of Olympus loved to exude. The duo worked to slay them a few decades prior to the fallen knight’s trip through the singularity to this universe. A blonde haired, evil creature of few words, but an invaluable ally to have on the field of battle. At least, when you shared similar goals with him.

While the man who’d once called Hades master felt a hint of betrayal at Lenneth’s actions, after slaying the God of Love and taking her throne for himself, the Sultan couldn’t help but hold respect for the tactful methods Lenneth used to snatch it from Aphrodite. The once undead servant cared little about the actions he took at the time, taking pleasure in slaying those that thought themselves so high above the humans that dotted the surface of Olympus Coliseum instead.

It  was Hades who held contempt, taking it out on his servants rather than seeking to destroy the heartless lord like the coward he was. With Lenneth taking his throne of Godhood, the power gained allowed him to remain a rival to Hades, a fight between the two would shake the very foundation of the world, something the heartless would take advantage of if given the opportunity.

A fragile, but necessary truce.

It’s then, the darkness began to pour in, blocking all manner of light from view, only his flames providing some illumination. Within this close proximity, the Sultan could make out only a few important features. Mainly those golden eyes, hungering for the slaughter of dozens, filled with contempt for the would-be defender that bore into his own amethyst hued orbs. While his expression remains soft, his words would be anything but. A plan formulated in his mind. His entire reason for being here, instead of scouring a temple, he might have found someone who could give him what it was he desired: peace with the heartless.

Such a possibility seems farfetched given the situation he’s in now. Though, it never hurt to try, and his offer may just be enough to placate her and get the squad of darkness to stop. Or, at least slow them down enough for his third clone to enter the fray. That, and with the thousands of malcontents taking up space, draining him of everything within his coffers, he could do to give his prisons space for others who broke the laws he’d set in place on Agrabah.

“You seek these creatures, when I can offer you so much more,” Eno starts, gritting his teeth from the frigid sword. “Rapists, murderers, arsonists, serial bombers, that and more are filling my prisons. All of them ripe for the picking, brushing against the border between light and dark. Instead of wasting your time here, you could be sating your hunger.” A wild proposition, something that the world leader felt he’d never have to do. Sadly, his people are suffering from those they used to call their friends. The bulk of the dark swarm being made from his own citizens. A desperate situation that needs to find an end.

The fallen knight knew, he knew that the assault on his world was nothing more than a taste of something worse to come. He’d cover every base he could, even if it meant putting his world through potential harm. However, unlike the thousands of other dark monsters he’d come across, the woman before him held herself with some semblance of dignity. Even if she’s putting her attention on innocents, she’s doing so knowing full well what she’s doing while most of her brethren merely act on instinct. It’s either this, or try and slay her and her partners.

“What do you say, leave fifty or so alone, gain more than triple the count?” Eno asks with a half smile. His clone wielding the bow is able to relay some much needed information to the main body, revealing that a rather pesky foe was making its way over to him. With another clone on the way, instead of it being ready to go, Eno finds himself at a disadvantage. Holly’s disappearance didn’t make things any better for him.
Her parting words sent a chill down his spine, but the Sultan was confident in his ability to deal with negative stats should the need arise. Regardless, if he could end this now, perhaps things wouldn’t need to escalate? He’d rather not find out just how deep this curse could run should it be implanted in his body. Either way, should they continue, the once proud knight would join in the fight himself, rather than letting his illusion based clones do it for him.

As Holly’s two summoned foes close in on the clone, Eno’s esoteric nature goes to work. A barrier forms around the individual holding the Sphere of Creation. As it does so, the long range weapon morphs yet again, this time becoming a weapon signature to the fallen knight: A glaive. An audible crash, akin to glass shattering, reverberates through the darkness as the first strike connects. Bits of the barrier fly in all directions around the clone momentarily before a force from beyond melds it back together as though nothing had taken place. It’s then, through shared consciousness, does Eno know of the attack soon to come his way. A strike from behind.

As the clone brings up his glaive to parry the strikes from the first, the second lands one from out of its vision, bringing the barrier down in an instant. Even the Sultan knew that such powerful attacks would bring the clone down quickly, even with its damage resistance increasing as a result of its protection going down. To avoid a punishing blow, the clone rolls to the right, avoiding a swing from the zweihander. It’s barely to its knees before both happen upon it at once. Creatures of such agility put the illusion based construct on the defense immediately, forcing it to try and keep up with both warriors with minimal results.

The shaft of the polearm meets the greatsword, creating sparks from the force being exuded by both parties. And, as he does so, the other warrior manages a clean cut across the abdomen, nearly cutting it in two. It’s obvious that while it held some means to fight one, the swift strikes of both at once would prove to be too much. Were it not for the healing nature of Eno’s influence, the clone would have fallen before the fight could even begin. As for the copy, despite its damage, it’d continue to try to deflect, parry, and thrust with each opportunity it was given. As it does so, it’d keep on the move, paying attention to its own footwork to keep the two at a distance.

As for the skeleton, who’d closed the distance and was primed to swing, Eno himself would act to disable it to give Ophelia her opportunity to respond, even if it was a violent one. To bring his magic into existence, he’d use the very bones that sought to do him harm. Three of the segmented portions of Holly’s construct become alight with sparks of electricity. It’s then, three bolts of lightning fire at the main body of the guardian at point blank range. If they made contact, each bolt would  damage it, refund mana spent in this attack, and stun the creature, keeping it in place.

Actions Taken:

[Ophelia]

A sensational thrill phased through Ophelia's body as she felt the simple crack of her opponent's jaw. However her expression gave into that of a scowl as she felt the man grip her arm. Her sword came forward and much to her surprise, Eno pushed his hand into it, letting the blade pierce through quite swiftly to stop it in it's place. With the darkness flooding in, she knew she had to get one more counter in before being able to move instantly and freely. She pulled her fist back towards herself while he still had a grip on her, aiming to pull his body towards her before her legs would push forward as she'd bring her knee to crash into his gut. He had regenerative properties, most of her magic was being negated but she sure as hell knew she could give him a beating while she stood. As she'd hopefully connect with the Sultan again the darkness would cover the area entirely, and she'd instantly teleport away from him whether her knee connected or not.

Only to appear behind him, near and close once again as her ice sword would be left impaled in his hand. Perhaps it was the momentum of battle and thought that wouldn't let the witch stop just for a moment to listen to what he was saying on first response. Ophelia's way of fighting was usually quick and fierce, something he would have noticed from now. However, she had heard him, there were several things that caught the attention of the witch. Firstly, the mention of Lenneth, someone she saw as both an immense threat but family in a way. Though she knew the truths of power struggle and hate between other heartless, she had grown to feel connected to all heartless in some way or another. How he knew Lenneth was interesting, however she was well aware that her brother of sorts had been around for much longer than Ophelia herself.

Second thing that caught her attention was of course the offer he gave her. Who exactly was he to make such an offer to her? He clearly wasn't the ruler of Deep Jungle due to how he said he was lost earlier, so possibly from another world. It wasn't common for leaders to travel in pursuit of knowledge and power, perhaps he had come to unravel the mysteries and treasures of this so called hidden temple the witch had heard of, such an idea was beginning to seem likely. However what he had found was trouble or perhaps a temporary solution to the troubles in his world.

The offer seemed reasonable and Ophelia sometimes found herself to be, a reasonable woman. After all there was much to gain from this and she had an idea. She herself had learned to suppress the hunger that came with being a heartless, but there was someone else she could think of that could do with such a feast. Thinking of said person, a smile streaked across Ophelia's face as her apprentice re-positioned herself to help her own self in this combat and began the process of a curse. The girl definitely knew what her strengths and weaknesses were and how to not let herself be limited. As much as Ophelia wanted to see where this would go, she'd have to bring the battle to a stop. Her hand raised into the air to wave as she spoke. "That's enough." She paused, teleporting once again to stand in front of Eno, he wouldn't be able to see her but she could see him and that's what mattered to her at this point.

"Who exactly are you to make such an offer?" She asked, her tone condescending and cold as per usual. "And what do you have to gain from me sparing these lives and taking those from your own world? Don't get me wrong the offer is appealing and I do quite enjoy merciless approach, as you may know some heartless get quite curious." His offer did seem genuine, what hero wouldn't give away the lives of criminals in exchange for good people after all. The witch wouldn't let her guard down however, should this be a tactic to slow her down, she'd be ready to move again.

[Eno Vale]

When Ophelia made contact with Eno’s stomach, he felt the air leave his lungs in a rush. His eyes widened with shock as his sternum forcefully presses against his lungs. Another snap and the fallen knight’s breathing takes an erratic turn. Though, within moments the problem corrects itself, leaving the man gasping. Once his grip went slack she immediately faded into the darkness, and the flames dispersed with it, leaving him without so much as a single bit of light. As things move on, it’s becoming more apparent to the Sultan that this woman didn’t want to listen to his proposition. Realizing this, Eno’s intentions were to wait. With the clone ready to go, his next move would involve using that as an explosive. With her close range tendencies, the fallen knight believes he can grab her again. This time, should he succeed, his clone would detonate at point blank range.

Eno’s ears were able to pick up the patter of her feet when she hit ground. He held his position, waiting for her next move. Though he had no means to see, his reflexes may prove enough to offer some sort of counter. But, with her capability to disappear into this black fog of sorts, this could end up drawing out longer than he would like. And, as soon as that thought appears in mind, he realizes that though she had the advantage, she wasn’t going in for the kill. Did she perhaps read into what he said? Is she thinking it over? That and more flood his thoughts, as he removes the ice sword from his hand.

With a breath, his tense shoulders come to rest, letting his influence bring about its healing properties yet again. Within moments the flames that held to all three dissipated into nothing.

When he heard Ophelia approach from the front, and with the following words, he manages a reassuring smile. Talking managed to solve the problem, for once things didn’t have to turn ugly for the Sultan. While he didn’t have confidence in his diplomatic ability, having spent most of his life wielding a blade on the battlefield rather than sitting in courts, the fallen knight did have one bit of knowledge, and that is if you appeal to the nature of the other, their chance of cooperation rises.

Thankfully for him, the situation didn’t complicate itself any further.

"Who exactly are you to make such an offer?" Her tone carries ice just as cold as her sword. "And what do you have to gain from me sparing these lives and taking those from your own world? Don't get me wrong the offer is appealing and I do quite enjoy merciless approach, as you may know some heartless get quite curious."

“It’s a bit of a long story, so I apologize if it bores you,” Eno starts scratching at the back of his head sheepishly. “What I can tell you, is that I’m a Sultan by the name of Eno Vale,” Admittedly, with the fog having blocked his vision of Ophelia, he found it a bit eerie giving his attention to what seems like empty space. For all he knew she could have him talking to nothing. Hopefully, this was her way of approaching others, instead of a plot to take advantage of his relaxed state.

“About ten years ago, I was able to end a Civil War that tore through the city of Agrabah, but that came at a price: Fear and false loyalty. Despite my best efforts, I still find traitors within my ranks.” He sighs, shaking his head before continuing. “People poisoning my food, assassination attempts, the list goes on and it's rather disheartening, really. So, I came to realize, that my best bet of finding someone to help me, would be outside my world.” With that, he hopes to paint her a picture to better understand where he’s coming from. His situation, despite the advances he’s made, is dire. The divide between social classes still cuts deep into the foundation of his city like a guillotine's blade. Many of whom still can’t see eye to eye, and that demeanor leaks back into the Sultan’s Halls. While casualties were almost nonexistent, the frequency did get to the Sultan. Sleep has been difficult to come by.

“I’ve got a heartless problem, a big one. More than half are made from my own citizens, many of whom were good people. But, as you know, they feed on hearts. So, their instinct drives them to hurt those they care about..” Eno looks around, taking in nothing but the abyss around him. "Call me childish, or naive, but what I want is cooperation between the heartless and my citizens I want to bring families back together and offer them comfort. The only way I know I can achieve that, is if someone gives the heartless direction.” Clasping his hands together, he sighs.

“So, I’m hoping, that by offering you these hearts, and by offering you a place among my people, we may create a partnership of sorts? I don’t know if we share the same sympathy, but at the very least by helping me keep peace on Agrabah and assisting me should I need you, if there is something you desire, I’ll work with you to obtain it.” As he speaks, he puts a hand to his chin in thought, “as for living arrangements, if you choose to visit, we’ve got a few unoccupied rooms in the palace. I don’t know if that’s something you’d want, but I figured I’d offer you a room instead of having you scrounge the desert for a hole to stay. You’re not an animal.”

“As for them,” he points a thumb to what he believes may be one of the villagers, “they were supposed to provide me with directions to the temple. That, and people dying undeserved deaths doesn’t sit well with me. Letting them live would only be by your mercy. Once I leave for Agrabah that’s it. Their protection is gone. I have a responsibility to my people, I can’t stay here and watch over them.” Once he finishes his rather lengthy explanation, he offers his hand out to where Ophelia’s voice originated.

“So, what do you say, will you give this weary Sultan your name, and his peace of mind? It’s asking a lot to trust someone like me, given what I have,” he states, referencing his keyblade, “but I’m hoping you can look past that. I’m just,” he pauses, his arm falling limp, “I’m so exhausted.” As he mutters this, his body rocks back and forth. It’s true that his eyes were heavy with sleep he’d gone without, but his drive to bring about change upon his world drove him forward. His position as Sultan held no mercy, challenging him day in and day out. Stress has been taking more than its fair share, building steadily within. It all comes crashing down on him like lead. It took telling his story to a complete stranger for him to put what's’ been occurring into perspective. With the ones he’d eaten finding their way out, that only brought about more problems. His encounter with the Avatar of the Underworld attesting to it. Weeks later and his western front is still recovering from the fated meeting.

And so, Eno waits to see what the Ice Queen had to say.

[Holly Hallow]

The two knights continued to hound down the clone, showing that they weren't any slouches themselves when it came to footwork and pressing their advantage. They were relentless and seemed to have had limitless stamina, their attacks weren't wild, but they were all aiming to be fatal. The two never really stayed in one place either and always moved to have the flank advantage on the the clone. Two against one, especially vs. an opponent of that caliber was enough to keep them from falling too easily. They timed their strikes to avoid a parry that could easily end their lives.

The skeletal figure had closed in on the Sultan real easily, even when it felt its bones being used as a catalyst for magic. The thing didn't care and attempted to follow through with its swing. Even when pelted with lightning, their opponent would find that the creature wasn't stunned at all. It took the damage to the main body, but stuns seemed to be ineffective against the dark knight and in time, that swing would have been fully realized... If it wasn't thanks to the fact the man hadn't perked Ophelia's curiosity. Their opponent was saved for the moment and one of the greatswords the skeletal figure brandished, was nearly upon his head.

"That's enough."

Was the command that Holly heard and it was on reflex that she made everything come to a halt. Her fragile lips had nearly spoken the final word of the curse she was to place upon their opponent, but he was saved. For now. The mother figure which was the Heartless Witch, had enabled him the chance to live another day. The embers had died away and her milky white eyes opened once more. From her fortress of flora and darkness, she remained sat upon the chair and watched from afar. Now connected to Ophelia's darkness, Holly too was in tune with every sound being exchanged between the two. Her three knights themselves retreated into this pitch black abyss to hide and re-position themselves to more advantageous positions. They'd now wait and listen, much like their Mistress.

Seemed as though the man wasn't a hero, but a realistic, macabre sultan, who believed in fair justice. That didn't mean he could be trusted, however, yet Ophelia continued to humor him. The words he spoke and the offer he made... Well then, even she'd be foolish to not take it up. Holly didn't voice that opinion unless told to do so, her lips were sealed. This man might have been on the more business side of things, either that or he was extremely well-versed in them. The people of this land had temporary protection up until he left and they were also given the chance to devour more hearts from the prisoners, traitors, and others from the civil war. Her mouth salivated at this notion and she licked her lips in a slow, hungry manner.

[Ophelia]

Standing there in silence the heartless witch listened intently. She made due note upon hearing his name and his rank of Sultan, as he spoke further the assumption that she made of him belonging to Agrabah was correct. There wasn't many worlds out there who used that term for their ruler. Ophelia hadn't been there in quite some time, finding herself out of loop in the Civil War that unfolded, a whole world temporarily in chaos and she wasn't there. However where that opportunity had been missed another arose. There were already heartless among Eno's people and many more ready to fall into it, though she had many heartless at her disposal already, adding more to the count was always helpful.

Different situations played out in the witch's mind, whether she were to follow through with helping the problem in Eno's world. Bringing the heartless and the people together.. or at least no longer in chaos. The idea of bringing peace irked the ice queen but it would come with benefits and with the count of heartless up, it could bring more damage elsewhere. The situation must have been dire in order for the keyblader to ask a heartless to help and fortunately for him he seemed to have found the right one to approach for it. The deal was simple and easy, Ophelia would be a fool not to take it up.

As he wrapped up his verses the heartless would notice the tired in his eyes and the slow rocking of his exhausted body. She wasn't a hundred per cent sold on trusting one with a keyblade user, but she was part of the way there. He seemed sincere and in desperate need of help and that would be enough for Ophelia to make a deal on. The dark fog that shrouded them warped into the heartless queen within a second and there she'd be revealed. She made a firm grip on Eno's hand, staring him deep in his eyes as she gave a smile.

"It's your lucky day Sultan, you've got yourself a deal." She paused, letting go of his hand and bringing her posture back to a more confident stand. "I am Ophelia and my apprentice Holly, you met earlier. You'll grow to like her, she's going to help a lot with bringing those criminals to justice for you." The heartless smiled, her apprentice sure to get the hint that her transformation was nearing and further more, the hearts offered were for her. "Trust me I'm very excited and happy to help with your situation but there may be implications. While the idea of families being brought back together despite the race of heartless and human is.. Nice" She nearly choked on the word. "The drive of lesser heartless' hunger makes it somewhat unobtainable and difficult, but we may find ways around it. I can take them elsewhere, feed their cravings and return but it always comes back quickly.. I remember that."

Ophelia's tone was friendly, cheeky and charismatic. It would appear strange to see how neurotic a being could be, once a foe now coming off as a friend. A hard thing to gather in these worlds, whether someone trying to be your friend was sincere or not. Throwing ideas out there and hinting at how ruthless the heartless witch could be was a good starter to gauge Eno's sense of morale.

sorryforsuperaveragepost.

[Eno Vale]

With the fighting coming to an end, the Sultan let’s loose a sigh of relief. Though, upon witnessing the fog entering the body of the one before him, his heart leapt into his throat. Ophelia was so close, yet he had no means of seeing her. If she truly wished to do him harm, a blade of ice wouldn’t have been seen until it was already sliding into his throat. Yet, instead of ending his life, she takes his hand firmly, her bright yellow eyes staring into his deep violet. The Sultan would meet her with an fatigued grin of his own. This not only gave him the support he needs, but it also spares the villagers a horrible fate. For her to actually take up his offer, perhaps things may work out after all.

Will reuniting them with their families truly bring peace to Agrabah, only time will tell.

“I’m glad to hear it, Ophelia. Thank you,” Eno is sure to keep his confidence in what he hopes will be a brighter future, keeping his tone reassuring. “I’ll insure you and Holly feel welcome. As for what you’re implying, you do what you have to in order to keep the peace.” It’s then, the Sultan has another idea come to mind, one that may keep things flowing smoothly.

“Besides, we’ll just make those you take citizens as well. Add them to your total,” looking around the immediate area for a moment, and not finding a trace of the ice queen’s apprentice, didn’t sit well with the world leader. “Will me allowing you two to have these hearts give Holly the means to stand? I can imagine it’s frustrating to be immobile like that, I’d like to give her the freedom to move about like you and I.”

Perhaps a visit to the Cave of Wonders may be one course of action for that venture, but, that would come at a later time. For now, he’d bring them back. The prison held in the Northern District, the one with the highest concentration of criminals, is their starting point. After that, he’d provide them with their own quarters as he mentioned. Running his free hand, along the open air, he creates  a large tear in space.

“Just follow me, and we’ll get started.”  With that being said, he moves through the portal, leaving it open for the rest to follow through.


To Agrabah

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